Engine-stopping device



Mar. 20, 1923 1,449,026

I M. P. WOLFE ENGINE STOPPING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1921 2 sheets sheet l Inn/anion .1?- R M olfa fliiormeys.

Mar. 20, 1923 M. P. WOLFE ENGINE STOPPING DEVICE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1921 7 a z Z \W l/ kv l a/Aw Patented Mar. 2%, I923.

MERRILL P. WOLFE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO FULTON IRON WORKS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ENGINE-STOPPING DEVICE.

Application filed May 6, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERRILL P. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States of America, and. a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine- Stopping Devices, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in engine stopping devices, the object being to provide a heatresponsive device adapted to automatically stop an engine. In case of fire in the engine room, or whenever the engine is exposed to abnormally high temperatures, it is desirable to stop the engine, and according to the present invention this may be automatically accomplished. A device of this kind is especially adapted for engines which are connected to a pump for oil and other inflammable liquids which are liable to leak from the system and become ignited in the engine room, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such use.

As an illustration of one form of the invention, I have shown and will hereafter describe a heat-responsive stopping device 'associated with an internal combustion engine. In this particular form of the invention, the engine is provided with a fuel pump for the delivery of fuel to the combustion chamber of the engine, and the engine is stopped by stopping the pump so as to discontinue the delivery offuel. The stopping device includes a yieldingly mounte member, preferably operated by a spring to stop the engine, and a heat responsive connection wherebythis spring operated member is normally held in an ineffective position. This heat-responsive connection may include a fusible element whereby the spring-operated member is normally held.

Fig. I is a side elevation illustrating certain parts of an internal combustion engine equipped with a stopping device embody ing the features of this invention.

Fig. II is an enlarged vertical section showing a fusible connection whereby the stopping device is normally held in an inoperative position.

Fig. III is avertical section on the line III-III, Fig. II.

Serial No. 487,422.

Fig. IV is an enlarged fragmentary sec tion, partly in elevation, illustratin fuel pump whereby liquid fuel is forced to the engine, and showing the means where by this pump may be rendered inoperative to stop the engine.

The engine shown in Fig. I includes a frame 1 supporting a cylinder 2, and a fuel inlet device 3 mounted on the cylinder. to provide for the admission of fuel to the combustion chamber of the engine. 4 des ignates a pipe through which liquid fuel is conducted to the inlet device 3. I do not deem it necessary to show or describe all of the elements of the engine, for such the elements are old and well known in the art and the engine herein shown may be considered as an internal combustion engine of the Diesel type having a fuel pump for the de livery of liquid fuel to the combustion chamber.

The pump shown in Fig. II includes a plunger 8 adapted to reciprocate in a block 9, the latter being bored to form a pump cylinder. The fuel is conducted through an inlet passageway 10 to an inlet port 11 adapted to be closed by a spring actuated check valve 12. The pump is also provided with a discharge passageway 13 adapted to he closed by spring pressed valves 16.

When the pump plunger 8 moves upwardly,

liquid fuel is drawn from the passageway 10 and through the inlet port 11, the inlet valve 12 being free to open in response to the movement of the incoming liquid. During each downward stroke of the pump plunger, liquid fuel is displaced and dis charged through the passageway 13 containing the spring actuated check valves 16 which permit the outgoing liquid to flow through the passageway 13 and also through a passageway .17 leading to the fuelconducting pipe 4. p

The means for operating the pump plunger 8 includes a rotary shaft 17 adapted to be operated by the engine and provided with an eccentric 18 surrounded by an eccentric strap 19 having its lower end pivoted at 20 tothe upper end of a tubular driver 21, the

latter being movable vertically in a guide 22. To transmit downward movement to the pump plunger, the tubular driver 21 isprovided with a striking block2-3 adapted to engage an abutment 2a screwed onto the I upper end of the plunger 8. This plunger also carries a sleeve 25 confined between the abutment 24 and a collar 26, the lower end of sleeve 25 being larger than the diameter of collar 26, so as to provide an abutment shoulder 25'. The pump operating mechanism also includes a trippable connecting lever 27, pivoted at 28 to the lower end of the tubular driver 21, and provided with an abutment block 27 adapted to engage the abutment shoulder 25 at the lower end of sleeve 25. The connecting lever 27 is yieldingly connected to the driver 21 by means of a spring 29 attached to an arm 30 on the rear of the driver, and this spring tends to retain the connecting lever 27 in the position shown by Fig. IV wherein the abutment 27 engages the lower end of sleeve 25.

When the eccentric strap 19 moves downwardly, it imparts a downward movement to the tubular driver 21 and motion is transmitted from the striking block 23 to the abutment 24 on the upper end of pump plunger 8, soas to positively impart a clownward movement to the pump plunger. During the return stroke, when the driver 21 moves upwardly, motion is transmitted from said driver, through the pivot 28 and lever 27, to the abutment 27 which engages the lower end of sleeve 25 so as to impart an upward movement to the pump plunger.

A reciprocating motion is thus imparted to the pump plunger 8 for the purpose of forcing liquid fuel to the engine, and it is to be understood that the lever 27 may be shifted about the axis of its fulcrum 28, so as to prevent the transmission of movement to the pump plunger, thereby stopping the pump and discontinuing the delivery of fuel to the engine.

I will now describe the means for shifting the lever 27 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. IV, so as to disconnect the reciprocating driver 21 from the pump plunger 8. This means comprises a tripping de- 'viceincluding an arm 32 provided with an upwardly extending cam 33, a shaft 34 to which said arm is secured, an operating arm 36 fixed to said shaft, a spring 37 tending to actuate the arm 36, and retaining rod 38 extending through an opening in one end of arm 36, the latter being engaged with a nut 39 at the lower end of rod 38. A heat responsive device cooperates with the retaining rod 38, as will be presently described, to retain the arms 36 and 32 in the positions shown in the drawings. When the retaining rod 38 is released, the spring 37 will move the arm 36 downwardly from the position shown in Fig. IV, thereby elevating the arm 32 and at the same time shifting its cam 33, so as to displace the connecting'lever 27 from the position shown by full lines in Fig. IV to the inoperative position shown by dotted lines, thereby disconnecting the driver 21 from the pump plunger 8.

To illustrate one form of the invention I have shown a heat-responsive device whereby the retaining rod 38 is connected to a rod 40, the latter being secured to a stationary part of the engine by means of a nut 41. The heat-responsive device comprises a metal tongue 40 secured to and extending from rod 40 and a similar tongue 38 extend ing from the rod 38. These tongues are lapped as shown most clearly by Fig. II, and their lapping portions are secured together by means of readily fusible material, such as solder 42. The retaining rod 38 is thus secured to the stationary rod 40 by means of a fusible connection, whereby the elements of the stopping device are normally held in inoperative positions.

To prevent accidental injury to the fusible connection, the tongues 38 and 40 are partly enclosed by a tubular casing 43 telescoping with the rods 38 and 40 and provided with openings through which the fusible connection can. be seen. This tubular casing can be secured by frictional engagement with the rod 40 but it should not prevent longitudinal movement of rod 38.

The operation of the heat-responsive engine stopping device may be briefly described as follows. 1

Under normal operating conditions, the cam 33 is held in its inoperative position shown by Fig. IV, although the spring 37 constantly tends to shift this cam 33. In the event of a fire in the engine room, or if the fusible connection is exposed to intense heat from any source, the solder 42 (Fig. II) between the connecting tongues 38' and 40 will be fused, so as to release the retaining rod 38, thereby permitting spring 37 to actuate the cam 33 for the purpose of shifting the connecting lever 27 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. IV. The pump plun ger 8 is thus disconnected from its reciprocating driver 21, so as to discontinue the delivery of fuel to the engine. It will, therefore, be understood that the engine is auto matically stopped when the heat-responsive device is subjected to a high temperature.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine providedwith a fuel pump for the delivery of fuel to the engine, and a heat-responsive stopping device adapted to stop said pump. I

2. An internal combustion engine provided with a pump for the delivery of fuel to the engine, a stopping device movable to stop said pump, yielding means tending to actuate said stopping device, and heat-re sponsive means restraining said yielding means.

3. An internal combustion engine provided with a pump for the delivery of fuel to the engine, and an engine stopping device adapted to stop said pump to discontinue the delivery of fuel to the engine, said stopping device including a spring-actuated operating member and a fusible connection restraining said operating member.

4;. An internal combustion engine provided With a pump for the delivery of fuel to the engine, and an engine stopping device adapted to stop said pump to discontinue the delivery of fuel to the engine, said stopping device including an operating member adjacent to said pump and engine, and heat-responsive means controlling said operating member.

5. An internal combustion engine provided with a pump for the delivery of fuel to the engine, pump operating means including a driver and a connecting device whereby motion is transmitted from said driver to said pump, and a heat-responsive engine stopping device adapted to disconnect said driver from the pump to stop the engine.

6. An internal combustion engine provided with a pump for the delivery offuel to the engine, pump operating means including a reciprocating plunger having an abutment, a reciprocating striking member adapted to engage said abutment to move said plunger in one direction, a trippable member whereby motion is transmitted in the opposite direction from said driver to said plunger, a tripping device adapted to shift said trippable member to an inoperative position, a heat-responsive operating member, and means whereby motion is transmitted from said operating member to said tripping device.

7. An internal combustion engine provided with a pump for the delivery of fuel to the engine, pump operating means including a driver and a connecting device Whereby motion is transmitted from said driver to said pump, and an engine stopping device adapted to disconnect said driver from the pump to stop the engine, said engine stopping device including a tripping device movable to disconnect the driver from the pump, a spring tending to actuate said tripping device, a retaining member adapted to hold said tripping device in an inoperative position, and a heat-responsive device adapted to release said tripping device.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature.

MERRILL P. WVOLFE. 

